Not for everyone, but great for those that get in on it

Rating: 10/10 (22 December 2002)

First thing's first: not everyone is going to like this film. Its loud, violent, its shot on low-end DV and its a zombie movie.
However, it is one of the best. With more than a little tip of the hat to George A. Romero, this film wastes no time getting into its story. A prologue - horribly botched by the appearance of the least appropriate actor of all time for this scene - tells us that a bunch of chimps have been injected with a serum which consists of pure, murderous rage. Unfortunately, a bunch of activists let them out and the virus gets released into society. And then, 28 days later... ...there's no-one left, apart from a few militarist survivors of an epidemic which has claimed everyone else. Into this changed world, we follow Cillian Murphy's Jim as he wakes up in hospital, unaware, adjusts and tries to survive with a handful of people that have found a way to fight back.
This film pulls no punches and makes no excuses - if you dont buy into the concept, its not going to make it easy for you. If you do, it will rock your world. The early vision of a deserted london is epic and eerie thanks to the rough footage which gives the feel of waking from a drunken sleep mixed with cctv footage. Straight away, we know this is going to be a bloody ride, from the screeching and butchering of the chimps, into Jim's self-defense in a zombie-filled church by beating a former priest round the head, then into the attacking zombies getting napalmed with molotovs by his rescuers. And it barely lets up, getting more messed up and more violent...
But there is time to look at what it would be like to live in a world where everyone you've ever known or loved is dead, not knowing how far it spread and whether there is any point in going on. There are occasional touching moments, particularly in the main duo's relationship with a man and his daughter who are holed up in a high-rise building. The focus of the film is their journey together to find other survivors, and is humorous and wonderfully acted, particularly by Murphy and the ever-reliable Brendan Gleeson.
But whenever the film threatens to slow-down, brighten up or ponder, it bursts into violent, shocking action. There are twists and uncomfortable concepts every few minutes and the final act builds to a loud, bloody crescendo which is very unsettling. The only real gripe is with the film's bookends - the aforementioned prologue and a coda which, while necessary, borders on phoney.
All in all, its a real ride and while it does kick up some interesting ideas, its main goal is to entertain, shock and unsettle and it does all three in equal measure. On this evidence, Danny Boyle is finally living up to the promise he showed in Shallow Grave and Trainspotting. For my money, this is his best yet.